*Title is inspired by a fun song by the Doobie Brothers.
As we travel up Rt. 316, my mind wanders to my past growing up on the Shore. A lot of my friends lived “up the road” from me, and this street would take me to see many of them in the towns of Greenbush and Hallwood. It was also the way to my Grandma’s house who lived in Bloxom. I can still see her house, surrounded by huge pines and the smell of chicken and dumplings being cooked for Sunday supper. Yet on this same road is a small picturesque town that I have driven past countless times. A place that if you spent a few hours in it, you’d find it full of history, beautiful homes and some of the friendliest people you’d meet.
Parksley is a small town located about 3 hours east of Richmond, across the Chesapeake Bay. The official LOVE sign is located in the town’s pavilion, which pays homage to the history of the railroad running through that area. If you’ve read my previous blogs, you know I grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. So when I get to explore close to where I was raised, it is always a special treat.
The day we visited, there was activity that caught our attention at the Parksley Pavilion/ Farmers Market next to where the sign was located. I think it was the coldest Saturday of fall to date (high of 41 degrees!), so only a few vendors were set-up. One was offering beautiful knitted items to include scarves and blankets, another locally canned jams, vegetables and sauces, and a third with an impressive display of hothouse vegetables. Brett and I left with a variety of pickled vegetables, tomatoes and eggplant to enjoy when we got home.
To help warm our hands and faces from the cold, we stopped in the newly opened Caboose Coffee & Creamery just a quick walk from the pavilion. They offered wonderful choices of hot and cold drinks as well as ice cream to satisfy your sweet tooth. The coffee beans are also locally sourced from the Eastern Shore Coastal Roasting Co. Brett and I shared the drink of the day, which was hot Salted Caramel Mocha, which was delicious.
Right next door is an unique shop called Jaxon’s. The diversity of items they sell is just as much fun as the history of the store. The store is a “third-generation family owned business that has served the Eastern Shore Community for 65 years”. You can find pretty much anything here – clothing, shoes, kitchen items, home decor, tools, toys and more. If they don’t sell it there, you probably don’t need it (lol). I of course couldn’t leave without their LOVE sign shirt and Brett loved browsing all the aisles looking at all of the different items.
While it was too cold to take a long walk around the surrounding neighborhood, Parksley is also known for its beautiful Victorian homes. There is a self-guided walking tour where you can view many of these homes and other historic stops in town. I can imagine that seeing some of these locations would feel like going back in time. When the weather is warmer, we’re looking forward to coming back and taking a stroll to see some of these notable sites.
At this point, our bellies are growling so we grabbed a booth at OFF the Rails restaurant. The atmosphere is one of casual dining with a large variety of home-cooked style entrees to include appetizing seafood options. We enjoyed their bacon wrapped scallops (which were divine) while we sipped on freshly made cocktails.
If you’re looking for something a bit different, just on the other side of the restaurant is their bar and grill. There you’ll also find a stage set-up for music and dart boards and pool tables for playing. It felt like a true Eastern Shore dining experience that Brett and I would definitely enjoy again.
And while our final stop was closed for the season, I would be remiss not to mention the Eastern Shore Railway Museum located in town. “The museum exhibits historic rail cars and a restored train station with railroad memorabilia from the lines that operated on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.” Like the town’s LOVE sign, the museum provides an important head nod to Parksley being an historic railroad town. I hope the next time we’re on the Shore, we get to experience the museum ourselves.
Parksley is a place to love…
Parksley is one of those places that if you love small towns, then you’ll quickly fall for its quaint charm and enduring feel. Where neighbors and friends have known each other for years, and would love to share stories with you of the town’s history and current happenings. If you’re ever traveling through the Eastern Shore, Parksley would be a great quick stop for you to experience yet another hidden gem of Virginia.
| VA ♥️ Signs Now Visited | Official VA ♥️ Signs |
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Need more info on Parksley? You can visit the town website or their Facebook page
Is this your first Leah LOVES Virginia blog post read? Thank you for taking the time to visit. If you’re wondering how this adventure got started, check-out my first blog post and my about page. Want to stay connected? It’s super easy and you’ll only hear from me when a new blog gets posted. You can also follow along by friending me on my Leah LOVES Virginia Facebook page.
Important note: I always do my best to ensure everything I include in my blogs are factual and that I also give credit and use quotations when pulling information from sources. If you believe there is something included here that needs to be addressed, please email me directly as I want to be sure it is fixed. Thank you and happy LOVE sign hunting.
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